I am currently reading Mémé dans les Orties by Aurélie Valonges and thoroughly enjoying it! The book, which translates into English as Out of Sorts, is about a cantankerous old man who is fed up with everything and everyone in life. Ferdinand Brun takes poor care of himself and his daughter has resolved to send him to a retirement home if there isn't an improvement in his living conditions. The book humorously recounts Ferdinand's interactions with his neighbours and the ongoing battle between him and the caretaker of his apartment block Madame Suarez who he refers to as la veille dinde. The chapters are short and witty and easy to read. The book is full of idiomatic expressions and it has been great to refresh my memory of these turns of phrase. Here are some of the expressions found in the book:

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Juliet Orchard

I have been teaching French and Spanish for 13 years. I qualified and started teaching in the UK, and I currently work at Shanghai Community International School, China. I have experience teaching GCSEs and IB DP and MYP. Find out more about me within these blog pages or below at Linked In.